BULAWAYO – There was frenetic action in Harare and Bulawayo on Tuesday as the government and the Bulawayo City Council kick-started a desperate push to get a Confederation of African Football (CAF) ban on the country from hosting international matches lifted.
CAF condemned the country’s stadiums on February 28 and asked the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) to find an alternative venue in a neighbouring country for the March 29 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria.
ZIFA has appealed the sanction and hopes major works at Barbourfields Stadium, which was indicated as the venue to host the match to CAF, will be completed by March 20 and get the continental body’s approval.
ZIFA hopes to secure a fresh stadium inspection on or around that date, and is quietly confident that both the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields will be certified fit to host international matches.
Workmen moved into the National Sports Stadium in Harare where the pitch is expected to be relayed after the local government ministry – the stadium’s owners – approved major works.
Work at the main stadium in Harare will also involve establishing media booths with internet, changes to the turnstiles, establishment of doping rooms with seats, televisions and refrigerators as well as an upgrade to the toilets. The stadium also requires a floodlight upgrade.
The government says it will delay installing bucket seats around the giant stadium in the hope CAF will waiver the requirement in the short term.
Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo is reportedly in line to receive $13 million from central government this week to commence a major facelift.
On Tuesday, the Bulawayo City Council received a donation of 100 bags of cement and a refrigerator from Harare businessman, Musa Gwasira.
“The time of talking and accusing each other of not having done this and that is over, we need to get to action,” said Gwasira’s representative Eddie Chivero while making the presentation to Bulawayo mayor, Solomon Mguni.
Another pledge came from the Herentals Group of Colleges, represented by Mduduzi Ndlovu.
“As a group of colleges, we are going to upgrade the changing rooms, toilets and the referees’ changing rooms including installing air conditioners in the referees’ rooms,” said Ndlovu.
Top of the list of recommended changes to the stadium by CAF is to replace the steel goalposts with aluminium ones, as the present ones are a danger to players in the event of a collision. Movable aluminum goalposts must be in place before a future inspection.
Council is also required to have a LUX floodlights certificate. CAF wants a “minimum of 1,200 LUX to be provided all over the pitch, covering uniformly every area of the playing field.”
A backup generator able to power the floodlights and lights is also a major requirement.
CAF also indicated there has to be proper signage at the entrance for players, officials, fans and for the VVIP area. It also wants a designated media media entrance and media booths with WiFi.
There must also be a designated and secure VVIP parking bay.
CAF wants massage tables in both dressing rooms as well as a doping room furnished with a television and a refridgerator.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists after Cabinet met in Harare that “all effort is being made to ensure that the country hosts international matches.”
“Consultations are in progress to ensure that the country’s stadia which fall under different authorities are also rehabilitated to meet required international standards,” she said of council facilities which include Barbourfields, Rufaro and Gwanzura.
